Hashim Amla has warned about paralysis through analysis, about overburdening the Nashua Cape Cobras with criticism because they failed in the rain-curtailed first Group B match against the Northern Districts, and in the error-strewn second match against the Hobart Hurricanes.

“The first loss was rain-impacted,” Amla told the Cobras-website from Mohali about the 33-run defeat at the hands of Northern Districts according to the Duckworth Lewis method. “In the second match, if it was not for a mistake here and there, the result could have been different. It is T20-cricket, and you should not look too deep into it,” he added. Amla was full of praise for the way the Cobras approached the power play in the second game, smashing 62 runs in the first six overs thanks to Richard Levi and Omphile Ramela. Ramela enjoyed the offerings of Dean Bollinger and hit 21 off eleven balls before the Australian accounted for the swashbuckling top-order batsman. Forget about the defeats and focus on convincing wins in the final two Group B matches against the Tridents on Friday 26th September and against the Kings X1 Punjab on Sunday, says Amla. A possible total at Mohali would be 180, but Amla said the Cobras will assess conditions on Friday before the game in Mohali and then compile an apt game-plan against the Caribbean team, the Barbados Tridents. Amla is arguably one of South Africa’s finest batsmen ever in tests and One Day Internationals (ODIs) Such has been his prowess that he is averaging 54.36 in 95 ODIs with 15 centuries at a phenomenal strike-rate of 89.26. The South African test captain has scored 6415 runs in white uniform and has struck 22 tons in 79 tests, a spectacular conversion rate for a number-3 batsman. But can he still improve his average (25) and strike-rate (122.44) in T20-cricket? Considering that he has played in only 26 T20 Internationals for the Rainbow Nation, the answer should be positive. “I have missed a lot of domestic T20-games the past few years,” said Amla. Playing for Surrey in the T20-format has helped to shape his game. Amla has become more prolific lately with drives over mid-off and mid-on in the power play of T20-matches. Asked if he wants to expand his repertoire of shots in the shortest format, he said: “It is about constantly working at your game and making small improvements.” The South African skipper considers consistent yorkers as the so-called ‘banker’ of deliveries in the death-bowling phase, as they are difficult to dispatch. But, like his former national colleague Shaun Pollock, he admits that these type deliveries could also be dispatched by skilled players who play from deep in their crease and then use the lap shot or sweep shot to find the boundary ropes. There are no securities and no place to hide in T20 cricket. It is a comforting thought if the bowlers have to defend short boundaries in the power play against one of the most stylish attackers in world cricket called Hashim Amla.